The Encyclopedia of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) that existed from 1973-74 to 1976-77. The NAHL was spawned by the death of the Eastern Hockey League and is the inspiration for the 1977 classic cult movie 'Slapshot'.

Pages

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Reggie Lemelin: It All Began in the NAHL

A true product of the North American Hockey League that went
on to a lengthy NHL career was Rejean Lemelin. Better known as Reggie, Lemelin
played three years in the NAHL with the Philadelphia Firebirds from 1974-75 to
1976-77.

Lemelin played two years of major junior hockey in the
QMJHL, 1972-73 and 1973-74, with the Sherbrooke Castors (Beavers). He was
selected in the seventh round of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft by the Philadelphia
Flyers. He was the 12th goaltender selected in the draft and went on
to play more games in the NHL than any of them. Included in that group above
him was Mike Palmateer, selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Palmateer played 356 games in the NHL while Lemelin played over 500.

Reggie was also selected way down in the 13th
round of the World Hockey Association Amateur Draft in 1974. He was taken by
the Chicago Cougars 209th overall.

With the NAHL Firebirds, Lemelin was the team’s leading
goalie for each of the three seasons. During his time with Philadelphia, Reggie
collected eleven shutouts in what was a league with a heavy dose of offense.

In 1975-76, he shared goaltending duties with five others
but still played more games at 29. The Firebirds won the Lockhart Cup
championship with a 4-2 victory over the Beauce Jaros in the final series.
However, Lemelin played just three games during the playoffs with Roger Kosar
and Gaye Cooley sharing the bulk of the action.

With the end of the NAHL after the 1976-77 season, Lemelin
continued on with the franchise in the American Hockey League for 1977-78 and
part of 1978-79. His NHL start came in 1978-79 with the Atlanta Flames.

Reggie played in the National Hockey League from 1978-79 to
1992-93 with the Atlanta / Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins. Although he wears
no Stanley Cup rings, Reggie and the Bruins came close in 1987-88. Lemelin
appeared in 17 playoff games as the Bruins took out the Buffalo Sabres,
Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils before being swept by the Edmonton
Oilers in the finals.

His career year on an individual level came in 1989-90.
Along with teammate Andy Moog, Lemelin was awarded the William M. Jennings
Trophy for playing 25 or more games with the team in the NHL with the fewest
goals against. Rejean played 43 games while Moog played in 46. Lemelin’s goals
against average was slightly better than his counterparts at 2.80 to Moog’s
2.88.

For hockey card collectors, Lemelin did not appear on major
cardboard until the 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee set. The Rejean Lemelin rookie card
appears as number 44.